Clif's Notes on EdTech

IrfanView Ask any techie and you'll probably hear IrfanView mentioned as one of the top two or three pieces of freeware around. For PCs only, IrfanView helps you crop, add effects (sharpen, blur, color depth), create a slide show, and convert images from one format to another (.jpg to .pict). And, you can do many of these things in batches (multiple photos at once), saving time! Lastly, this is a small program, saving valuable space on your hard drive.

VocabularySpellingCity has a new summer word study program that allows children to sharpen academic skills as they play. These simple assignments are a daily workout for the brain, building literacy skills such as vocabulary, spelling, and writing.

The Closing the Gap Professional Development Toolkit is designed to be used in both group-facilitated sessions and by individuals in self-directed learning. Customized instructions are provided for each type of professional development.

This online game is a favorite! It works great on your interactive whiteboard, too!

Created by Jeff Kinney of "Wimpy Kid" fame, this virtual world invites young gamers to create a character and to undertake age-appropriate quests on over a dozen "islands" based on themes from history, nature, and human culture.

great list of education blogs

Solid collection of resources addressing the 4 C's (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication) 

Nice! Thank you.

Bandaids and Blackboards The intent of this site is to sensitize children to what it's like to grow up with a medical problem. This site provides personal experiences submitted by children (some have their own Web page with photos) and games for viewers. The benefits of this page for children with medical conditions and their parents are obvious, but the site also is a great resource for educators dealing with student illness.

Through the use of colorful text and interactive games, this engaging site from the American Museum of Natural History teaches about the causes of infection, and about how to detect and prevent infection. The site includes facts about infections, interactive games that teach about microbes and bacteria, tips on solving microbe mysteries, and more.

Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood Developed as a companion to the PBS series Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood, this site is rich in content and interest, providing information about such topics as blood composition, circulation, typing, donations, and more. Visitors can take a multimedia journey that follows a pint of blood through the transfusion process, learn the basics about blood, and trace the history of blood through an interactive timeline. Middle- and high-school teachers also will find lesson plans and a 12-page discussion guide.

Simple Steps to Better Dental Health The interactive tools, diagrams, videos, games, and animations at this comprehensive resource from the University of Pennsylvania Dental School make information about dental health accessible to visitors of all ages. Topics range from the most basic -- such as brushing and flossing -- to the sequence of gum disease and root canal treatment. The site includes sections specifically for seniors, parents, and children.